Veg tanned goat and other hides

[Regis]

What can be done with Veg tanned goat and other hides? Is tooling and dying the same? Or do they have different properties than veg tanned cow hide and perhaps just useful for linnings?

Thanks,

Regis

[bruce johnson]

Regis,

When they were more readily available I used the vegtan kangaroo for lining higher end things. A light application of oil/dye and finish and good to go. I use mostly the vegtan goats for that now. Pretty thin and a bit of a "grain pattern". I have no reason to tool the lining of a checkbook, so I haven't tried any more than some finger cuts. I oil it and apply a finish to the whole piece, then just cut what I need. Both of these leathers are pretty strong and thin. I think they look nice and smooth as lining. On the regular kind of things I use pig to line with. I like the pig that has been processed with the smooth or jacked finish. One of my former wholesale customers used to like natural lining pig left plain. She thought the grain and pattern looked more "real" than her other lines she was getting elsewhere. I tooled on some heavier vegtan pig, it behaved like a pig.

As far as oiling and dyeing. I find they dye up lighter than my tooling leather, but will still take a nice color to not look bleachy and cheap.

[whinewine]

What can be done with Veg tanned goat and other hides? Is tooling and dying the same? Or do they have different properties than veg tanned cow hide and perhaps just useful for linnings?

Thanks,

Regis

Goat is thin (2oz or so), & very tough. It is primarily used in the bookbinding trade. It is carveable, toolable & takes finishes very well. Veg-tanned cow, if it were the same thickness, would, I think, be substantially not as strong as the same thickness of goat. Years ago, tandy sold rolls of goat lacing (I don't know if it was chrome or veg), & it had a superior feel & finish. The stuff sold today, IMHO, is crap, with the exception of kangaroo, which tends to be very expensive.

[Regis]

All,

Thanks for the education... I'll have to try tooling some and use for folders or wallets.